By the time the day ended well over 5000 people were gathered around Jesus, captivated by the fact that He was healing people right there in their presence. But, the hour was late and the disciples suggested to Jesus that He disperse the crown so they could make their way back to their various towns for supper (see the Story in Matthew 14:13-21).

Jesus was considering another alternative, however. He suggested the disciples feed the folks. They gathered up what they could find and managed to retrieve five loaves of bread and two fish. Bad plan, Jesus. Sorry. However, Jesus hadn’t gotten to the plan yet. He told them to bring their food collection to Him. Why? What’s the use? Good grief, when you don’t have enough, you don’t have enough. Then Jesus prayed over the inadequate and far too small offering, and that huge group of folks ate until they were filled, and they still had leftovers.

Moral? I’m not sure Biblical stories like this have a moral so much as a divine insight into the way things are in the Kingdom of heaven. In Jesus’ economy give what you have to Him, let Him pray over it, and then when He gives it back to you, start using it. Don’t sweat the size of the resource until God has mingled and meshed His grace into it.

When the bigness of things seem to be overwhelming place them into the hands of God. Then be faithful and leave results to Him. You are a citizen of the kingdom of heaven. Don’t be distracted by anything.

In Matthew 6:10 Jesus teaches us to pray, “Your kingdom come.” This is coupled with the phrase, “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” God’s kingdom and God’s will seem to be the two realities that ought to consume the lives of people who dare call Jesus Savior and Lord.

Is there a way for all of life to be lived with God’s kingdom and God’s will as the basic, non negotiable passion and pursuit for a person? This leads to the question about how exactly God’s kingdom is among us and how we can discern it’s influence.

In some of His parables Jesus spoke of how the kingdom is like leaven or a mustard seed; small, almost unnoticeable until it reveals how it is present, and then it’s presence cannot be ignored. At the same time the kingdom is of such value that it would be quite realistic for a person to give their whole life to it; no holding back, no marginalizing, only all out and full commitment to what God is doing in all His creation.

Jesus calls us to pray for the coming of God’s kingdom. This is how important it is to Him. Nothing to the left, nothing to the right; the kingdom of God only. YOUR WILL BE DONE, He prayed. Do what you have to do, sell what you have to sell, jettison anything that stands in the way, and live for the presence of the kingdom of God among us.

Fall in love with Jesus and build your life around the grace of God that comes to us in Him. Nothing to the left; nothing to the right; “Thy kingdom come; they will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

We Christians need always to remember and to recognize the fact that the enemy of God and His holiness is at work in the world.

The enemy seeks daily to snatch the Word of God out of people, to wear them down through affliction and persecution, and to overcome them with worries about life. According to Jesus the enemy is about the work of sowing weeds in the fields that have been sown with good seeds of wheat (Matt. 13:24-25).

This means that followers of Jesus must always be alert and tuned into the fact that the enemy will not rest as along as there is opportunity for him to do his evil work in the lives of people. Most likely he will seek to work unnoticed, in the darkness, when his presence won't be quite as noticeable as it could be.

Jesus likened the work of the evil one to an "enemy" who came into the field of good seed, when the workers were sleeping, and contaminated the field with weeds. When it was discovered the workers were willing to go back into the field and pull up the weeds. This was too risky, however, because in pulling up the weeds, the wheat itself might be destroyed. So, Jesus said that they should let them grow up side my side. In the right time, the Son of Man will come and do any necessary clearing or separating.

The Church's job description is to stay alert and sharp, to be faithful and diligent. In a world where the enemy is busy doing his thing, and in a culture more than willing to take it all in, Jesus is Lord. Nothing will escape His notice.

Don't despair. Instead, be faithful. God is at work. He knows what's going on.